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With an exhausted sigh, he pushed the covers away and went to theThe stars were out tonight in force, a glory of God’s universe, numbered and named by the Creator Gabe wanted to appreciate the Lord’s handiwork more but he felt too heavy inside

Daould coet back to work TheAJ was out of the question

His thoughts went to Brooke He’d started to cross the lawn a dozen times He’d opened his phone to call, but each tis and he couldn’t forget her look of devastation when he’d driven aith AJ, leaving her alone with Vincent and Kylie and her guilt He knew she felt responsible She’d struggled with guilt over her sister’s death for years

And she’d just now let go

She didn’t need a guy like hi it all back

He didn’t blame her Not really He was afraid Afraid to take another chance Afraid of losing AJ Afraid that whatever evil swirled around the mine and Brooke would harm his son He’d never been a coward, but two scares were too many

“I miss her”

She was hurting As if she were an extension of himself he could feel her heartache because it was his own He wondered if she ake

Three days seemed like a million

He shouldn’t have walked away and left her there

Slowly, the stars went out, tiny blinks that disappeared like snuffed candles as dawn crept over the mountains Gabe dressed, made coffee and waited for AJ to awaken Maybe he should move back to Denver for a while to be near his e the mine operation—if he didn’t shut it down completely

No, he couldn’t do that Shutting doould put people out of work Men like Tim and Shane and Jed who’d been there when he needed them to search for AJ No matter hoealthy, a man couldn’t buy that kind of loyalty This little town cared, and in turn, he cared

Feet propped on a kitchen chair, he scrubbed a hand over blurry eyes The back of his neck hurt His heart hurt worse

His cell phone chirped At six o’clock in the ood news He frowned at the unfamiliar number